Selectable loudspeaker-earphone



June 20, 1950 A, P, HORNOR 2,511,917

SELECTABLE LOUDSPEAKER-EARPHONE SOUND SYSTEM Filed Oct. 3l, 1946 IINVENTOR urehus P. Hafner ATTORN EY Patented June 20, 1950 SELECTABLELOUDSPEAKER-EARPHONE SOUND SYSTEM Aurelius l?. Hornor, Montclair, N. J.,assigner to Thomas A. Edison, Incorporated, West Orange, N. J., acorporation of New Jersey Application October 31, 1946, Serial No.706,868

This invention relates to a sound-receiving system wherein the soundsmay be received directly from a loudspeaker or in private from anacoustical-type earphone, and it relates especially to such acousticalreceiving system wherein the speaker is shut off automatically while theearphone is in use.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple and economicalmeans whereby a transcriber of dictation or other recorded matter mayreceive the reproduced sounds selectively from a loudspeaker or from anearphone, and wherein one of the receiving units is disabledautomatically as an incident of using the other.

It is a further object to provide a selective sound-receiving system ofthe character mentioned which includes a support for holding theearphone while the latter is not in use and means whereby theloudspeaker is automatically shut oz' and opened to the outside air asthe earphone is removed from and placed on its support.

These and other objects and features of my invention will be apparentfrom the following de-` scription and the appended claims.

In the description of my invention reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings, of which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating my invention; and

Figure 2 is a fractional sectional view, taken substantially in a planeon the line 2-2 of Figure 1, showing details of my invention.

While my invention has general application in acoustical systems forreceiving sounds either from a loudspeaker or privately from anearphone, it has particular utility in connectionk with thetranscription of recorded dictation and other recorded matter and istherefore hereinvillustrated and described in connection with aphonographic transcribing machine I fractionally shown in Figure 1. Thismachine is well known in the art and is sufficiently described for thepresent purposes by the statement that it comprises a rotating record Ilbearing the recorded matter to be transcribed, an electricaltyperecord-cooperating translating device I2 and an electrical amplier i3for amplifying the sound-representing electrical currents generated bythe translating device. From this amplifier these currents are fed by acord Hi to the soundreceiving system of my invention.

This sound-receiving system comprises a loudspeaker !5 connected to theamplifier I3 by way of the cord just mentioned. This speaker is mountedin a cabinet I5 which is closed at all sides except at the front of thehorn l1 of the 6 Claims. (Cl. 181-18) speaker. At this front side thereis mounted a' shutter I8 which' is adapted for enclosing the speaker sothat it cannot radiate sound to the outside air. This shutter comprisesa vertical grill I9 having rearwardly-bent border portions 20 that fitinto the cabinet and are secured thereto as by screws 2l. The grill isprovided with a series of horizontal vertically-spaced openings 22 eachof which is surrounded by a rearwardlyprojecting rim 23 formedintegrally with the grill. Pivoted to the grill at a point 24 below eachopening is aclosure plate 25 for the respective opening. These plateshave linings 26, such as of felt, provided on their faces which confrontthe openings so that when the plates are swung forwardly they willengage the rims 23 and tightly close the respective openings against theescape of any sound from the speaker to the outside Mounted on the grillat, for example, the bot- 1 tom portion thereof there is asound-receiving cap 29 for picking up sound from the horn of the speakerby way of an opening 3U in the grill. 'I'his cap has a nipple 3|connected to a iiexible f sound-transmitting tube 32 which leads to two.acoustical-type earphones 33 of a headset 34.,A This headset includes aflexible band 35 which.

interconnects the earphones to hold them in place on the head of theuser. This is a standard form of acoustical-type headset commonly usedby transcribers in reproducing recorded dictation.'v

This type of headset has an advantage over electrical-type headsets inthat it is very small and light and not so much annoyance to the user.

When the shutter is closed, the sounds radiated from the speaker arepicked up by the receiving cap 29 yand transmitted eiciently by the vtube `32 to the earphones of the headset 34. The

3 ter is closed automatically when the headset is in use and is openedto enable direct reception from the speaker when the headset is not inuse. To meet this objective I provide a hook-shaped support 3B forholding the headset when the same is not in use, which is an integralpart of the control member 28,'t-he'control` member having.

for example an upward portion extending through an opening 31 in the topwall of the grill and then extending laterally to form the support,"When the headset is removedfrom. this support. the spring 28 just holdsthe shutterv suitably"l closed. When the headset is mounted on thesupport, however, the weight thereof is sufficientto overcome the forceof the`I spring 2:8' and to' move the shutter open. Since it is anormal'un-- conscious act on the part ofthe. transcriber` to mount theheadset on this support when it is not to be used, and toA pick up theheadset from= the support when it is to'be used, it will be undernstood@A that the presentY sound-receiving system. isfcontrolledautomatically for t-he'selectivere-- ception ofthereproducedsoundfromthe speaker or headset without. requiring any'specialmanipelution on the partof the user.

, The particular embodiment of my' invention' hereinabove shown anddescribedzis intended to`v be illustrative andI notnecessarilylimitative of my invention, since the sameisfsubjecttochanges' and modiicationsy Without departure from the scopeof my invemonwhich I'. endeavor toexpress-according. to the followingclaims;

I claim:

1.,. A system for receiving soundsl directly from afloudspeaker orprivately fromanacoustical type ofvearphone, comprising meansforenclosing saidfv speaker, asupport tor holdingsaid earphone when the;same is not in use, asound". transmitting tubey connecting said earphoneto said enclosing meansy to couple the earphone acoustically to saidspeaken. and means associated with said .support and operatively coupledto-.said enclosing means for causing.v saidv speaker: tof be enclosedwhile said earphone is removed from said support: and to be open to theoutside'air when. said. earphone is on said support.

21... Alsound-receiving., system comprising a loudspeaker.,` a soundclosure connected to said speaker and including a movable shutter. forvclosing. off` radiation of sound from the speaker to the outside air, anacoustical-type earphone,r ai sound,- transmitting tube connecting .saidearphone tov said closure to couple the earphone acoustically to.- saidspeaker, a support for holding said ear phone when the latter is. notinuse, andmeans biasing. said shutter closed. andv responsive tov saidearphone as the-same is placedonto said support for openingsaid shutter.

A3.. A system for receiving. sounds directly from.

a, loudspeaker or privately from. an acousticaltype earphone, comprisinga. cabinet for saidk speaker, a movable shutter .on saidcabinet .for

closing,y oil?v said' speaker from the outside air., a

means coupling said support to said shutter, and

spring` means for holding. said shutter 'closed and said support in araised position when said earphone is removed from the support, saidspring meansbeing adapted to be overcome by the weight of said earphoneon said support to cause said shutter to be openedas the earphone isplaced onto the support.

4; Ina system for receiving sounds in public from a loudspeaker or inprivate from an acoustical-type earphone: the combination of a soundclosure connected to said speaker to form a closed air chamber.therewith and to prevent radiation offsoun'd to the outside air, saidclosure including an openable shutter; a sound-transmitting tubeconnecting saidearpnone to said'chamber; a support for said earphonemounted for vertical movement and'vr biased into a raised position, thebiasing force exertedfon said support being overcome by the weight ofsaid earphone when the latter isi'placed thereon; and means couplingsaid shutter to said support for holding said shutter open to' enablesaidl speaker to radiate sound tol the oultiside` air when saidearphoneA is on said sup` po 5. Ina soun`dreceiving system adapted toenable the reception of sound in public from aspeaker orv in privatefrom' an acoustical-type earphone: the combination of a sound closureconnectedto said speaker to form a sound chamber therewithi asound-transmitting tube coupling said earphone tof said sound chamber; a

shutter on said sound closure openable to' permit' radiation of sound bysaid speakery to the outside air; a movably mounted support for saidearphone movedy in' one direction as said earphone is mounted thereon'and in the otherdirection as saidearphone isl removed therefrom; andmeans couplingl said shutter to said support for causing the shutter to.be opened and closed respectively assaid4 earphone is` placed on andremoved from said support.

6. A sound receiving system' comprising a loudspeaker, closure meansincluding a movable shutter'foracoustically shutting oif said speakerfrom the outside air, an. acoustical-type earphone, asound-transmitting. tube connecting said earphone to 'said' closuremeans to couple the earphone acousti'cally to' said speaker, a supportmounted for up-and-down movement and adapted forl holding said earphonewhen the latter is not in use, means coupling said shutter to saidlsupport, and a spring yieldably holding said shutter closed and saidsupport raised when said earphone is removed from the support, saidspring being adapted to be overcome by the WeightV of said earphone onsaidsupport to open said shutter automatically as the earphone is placedon the support.

AURELIUS P. HORNOR.

Number Name Date 1,235,695- Johnson Aug. 7, 1917 1,283,510 Heck NOV. 5,1918 2,035,473 Harrison Mar. 3l, 1936

